Atmosphere

Milestones
Int s chapte you w II learn about:
0

■ the composition of atmosphere

■ t € Structure of at11osphere

■ g een ot.se e:rect, ,ts meaning and causes

■ Q oba ar1w19

n
r-r1}1e Earth has four realms (Figure 2.1).
l The~· are the lithosphere, which
compri ses the solid portion of the Earth;
the hvdros phere, ivhich comprises Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
all water bodies on the Earth; the
atmosp here, which comprises the blanket
I
Biosphere
of air around us, and the biosphere,
which comprises the living world.

t
Lithosphere
ATMOSPHERE
The blanket .of air that surrounds the
Earth is called atmosphere. It is held
aroW10. the Earth due to the Earth's Figure 2.1 Realms of the Earth
gravitational pull. The atmosphere is
made up of various gases, water vapour and dust particles.

0
r (\~ 1,:lJ•~~'.';..
Co1np osition of thL\ Atmos p here 1% Helium
Carbon d1m 1de
__ ,1lnws~1lwrl' consis ts of '11111·--1·
Thl' ,, u,.L' n1·gilses [
Hydro~en
Other gases
(hgt11'L' 2.2!. \\1,1kr ,·,1pnur, dust pilrliclcs,
pulll'n gr,1111s ,rnd llliln y impurities like
chemica' ls• ate. present
smPkl',
. .s,1lts illh.i .nthcr
. 21% Oxygen

1ll ~·,1r)'1t1g ~1u,mt1t-tcs in the cttmosphere. The

11111 111 constituent 1rilses
t) • •
are 111·ti·og en (about
<

78°0) and O\Vgen (c1bout 21%)· The remamm . .

() . i · . g
1 is maL cup ot
\I gases such as carbon dioxide, 78% Nitrogen

argon, h~'drogen, helium and ozone.

Figure 2.2 Composition of the Atmosphere
Structure of Atn1os phere
As there is no distinct boundary between
the ah11osphere and outer space, its exact Exosphere
400 km

thjckness cannot be known. Approximately, the @ Meteors Meteor<:)1' Temperature

above 1ooo·c
atm osphere extends up to 1,600 km above the -63' C
Ionosphere
Te mperature
/ increases with
surface of the Earth. Reflect height
Radioware
80 km

The density of the atmosphere is maximum near ~Meteors Meteors

Temperature

the Earth's surface. The air becomes increasingly Mesosphere decreases with
height (-1oo·c1
rarefied as we move farther away from the -so·c
Ra d i o w ~
50 km

surface. The upper layers of the atmosphere Slratosphere

-sJ·c
rest upon the lower layers and constantly exert Aeroplane
Temperarure
increases with
heig ht (0'C)
pressure. Thus, about 50% of the total mass of
the atmosphere lies within a height of 6 km from
- 45' C
~
Ozone Sphere
the Earth's surface and about 99% lies within a
height of 32 km. here \
Temperature
8 km decreasos with

The atmosphere is divided into five layers height (-80'C)

based on composition, temperature and other

properties. Starting from the surface of the Earth
the layers are called troposphere, stratosphere,
mesosphere, th ermosphere -;,d
- exosphere. Fi_~ l/l'l' ].3 Structure of Atmosphere

These layers vary in thickness (Figure 2.3).

• Troposphere: This is the lowest layer of the atmosphere. It extends to il height
of about 8 km at the poles and about 18 km at the Equator. It is the densest part
of the atmosph ere. Dust particles, water vapour and other impuriti~s are found
only in this layer. All weather phenomena, such as clouds, fog, rainfall, snowfall,
storms and lightnin g occur here. In this layer the 'tempera ture of air decreases with
 increase in height at the rate of r'C for every 165 m. This is called n~al l~rate.
As the troposphere is the lowest and the densest layer of the atmospher e 1t absorbs
warm.
111a,inutm heat rndic1tcd by the Earth's surface and keeps the Earth
• Stratosphere: This layer Hee:; 1bove thE> troposph«>rP and it extends to a height of
about 50 kn1 above the Earth's surface. The tropopause is a narrow boundary that
separates the stratospher e fr01n the tropospher e. In the lower part of the stratosphere
the temperature remains constant. In the upper part there is a gradual increase in
temperature. There are virtually no clouds and very little dust and water vapour
in this layer. Convection currents of air are also absent, so are all sorts of weather
phenon1ena. This is the reason why jet planes find it very convenien t to fly in
this layer. The stratospher e contains ozone which absorbs the harmful ultraviolet
radiations of the Sun.
\,.\\
• Mesosphere: This layer lies abo,·e the F.::":-~o;---,:--Troposphere
htof about ·, ------:,- Stratosphere
s ~ ~.ospne_·e anditexten dstoaheig \---+- Mesosphere
- 4:· "I ... . ·\· ~Thermosphere
80 km above the Earth's surface. The narrow .. ' . ... .,,. ~ .\ .
boundary that separates the mesospher e from ·)// _.,.. •·".· ., . l

-! ' _;~·\ t ·.3!0

the stratospher e is called stratopaus e. In the •fx ~-.·
I ;
.1···. /
mesospher e, the temperature of air decreases ~. . /
.'j: /:
with increasing height. Meteors burn in this ~/,'. /
~ ... · _:,,/·
layer, due to friction upon entering the Earth's ----~-~-- . .
_

atmospher e from space. The Earth's Atmosphere

• Thermosphere: This layer lies above the mesospher e and it extends up to a height
of about 450 km. Here temperature increases rapidly with increasing height. The
boundary between the thermosph ere and the mesosphere is called mesopause . This
layer contains electrically charged particles called ions. These particles reflect radio
waves back to the Earth's surface and enable us to h ave wireless communication.
The thermosph ere is also called ionospher e because of the presence of ions .
• Exosphere: The opermost layer of the atmospher e is called exosphere. It extends
to a height of about 1,600 km and gradually merges with interplane tary space. This
layer is ;., ef11A .,, 1c !led . Very little is known
about it due to lack of research. ,I'

m ure, Pressure and llumidit v The scientific study of the processes

and the physical phenomena taking
The degree of hotness or coldness of the air surroundi ng place in the Earth's atmosphere is called
meteorology. Meteorologists study
us is called air temperature. The temperatu re of air those layers of the atmosphere where
depends on several factors like -" tua P , illituce, the weather conditions that affect the
d. r
• tds and
., lCe of l'Y A.L
and j_lJ_j_",._A Earth's surface are generated, that
:s.a~tce ...... '-'~• u.e "e
.:,

ocean currents. is, troposphere and stratosphere, to

forecast weather.
 f

The pressure which the air around us exerts on the Earth's surface is called atmospheri c
pressure. It depends on th.e temperature of air and altitude. Warm air is light and exerts
low pressure while cold air is heavy and exerts high pressure. Air pressure decreases
with altitude. The difference in atmospheric pressure causes air to move. Moving air is
called wind. Wind always blows from high pressure areas to low pressure areas.
The amount of water vapour present in air is called humidity. It varies from place to
place and from time to time.

Tmoortanc e of Atmosph ere

The component s of the atmosphere are useful to us in various ways .
.f Nitrogen maintains the fertility of the soil.
,,-' Oxygen is inhaled by all living things.
/ Carbon dioxide is used by plants to produce food in the presence of sunlight. It also
keeps the Earth warm.
/ Ozone acts as a shield from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the Sun.
/ Water vapour in the atmosphere causes precipitatio n.
/ Dust particles form the nucleus for condensatio n which leads to cloud formati~

GREENHOUSE EFFECT ~ 'l NOW YOU

I KKOW_
The increase in atmospheri c temperature due to the The state-owned Bekhat6w Lignite
Plant in Poland is the biggest carbon
concentrati on of the greenhouse gases is known as the dioxide CO 2 polluter in Europe.
greenhouse effect.
A greenhouse is a structure where Some of the radiation is
Some of the
plants are grown under controlled rad,at,on emitted by
absorbed by gases in the
atmosphere. These warm
the Earth escapes
temperatur e conditions. It is Into space.
gases help to keep the Earth

covered with glass which allows

the Sun's rays to enter, but
prevents the heat from inside to
radiate back into the atmosphere .

In a similar iranner, some

gases, like (!_arbon dioxide, C¥:
methane, chlorcfluoro fcarbons) 2-- The Sun is very hot
Infrared radiation from
and nitrogen oxides in the the Sun can pass
through the atmosphere. nol 10 \CJI~

atmosphere allow the Sun's rays

to enter but prevent the heat Greenhouse Effect

\
•
 fr01n the Earth to radintc back into space. These gcises circ Lhus Ctillcd greenhouse gaHl•s.
They are responsible for raising the almosphcric tcmpcrt1lurc.
The m11ount of i;r~cnhousc gases in Lhc atmosphere lrns incrcnscd d rnrnnlically Ol•cnui,;1,
-..__ L • •

~ of the burning of fossil fuels and factory cm1ss1ons.

GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming, which means an increase in the c1vcrngc lcmpernlurc on Earth.
Greenhouse effect of the atmosphere and destruction of the ozone layer hc1ve k•d
to the phenon1enon called global wanning, which means an incrcnsc in lhe uverngc
feinperahll'es on Earth.

Depletion of Ozone Layer

Ozone is a gas that is present in the stratosphere. It absorbs the harmful ultraviolet rays of
the Sun and thus plays a protective role. The ozone layer is being depicted because of the
increase in the level of carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons in the lower atmosphere.

Tht:; an1ount of carbon dioxide in the ah11osphcre 1

'le, I \)

increases due to deforestation, burning of fossil fuels and , ·' NOW YOU KNOW
automobile emissions. Chlorofluorocarbons are used in ' Ozone gas has both positive and
refrigerators, air conditioners and aircrafts. Even large negative effects. In the lower
atmosphere, where we breathe,
, -olcanic eruptions, which emit toxic gases like sulphur high concentrations of ozone
dioxide, are responsible for ozone depletion. can cause respiratory problems.
However, in the stratosphere,
ozone is the best protector against
Impact of ozone depletion ultraviolet rays from the Sun which
are cancerous to humans and can
• Ozone hole allows the UV rays to reach the earth's destroy other living organisms.
surface. This increases the earth's atmosphere
temperature.
• It causes skin cancer and affects our immunity system.
• UV rays also affect plant growth.
• Aquatic plant and animal life is also destroyed)The eco-friendly products and its
utilisation will reduce and prevent ozone depletion. Awareness programmer should
be conducted for the preservation of ozone layer.

Causes of Global Warming

• Burning of fossil fuel: It is a source of heat-trapping pollution. This comes from
power plants, vehicles and industries in the form of carbon dioxide.
• Fertilisers: Artificial nitrogen in the form of fertilisers increases the nitrogen oxide
4& in the ahnosphere.
 of ca rb on
M in in g an d de fo re sta tio n le ad s to th e in cr ea se
tio n:
M in in g an d de fo re sta ob al wa rm in g.
•
th e al m os ph er e wh ic h is a m aj or ca us e of gl ug h
di ox id e in
im al s ad d m et ha ne in th e at m os ph er e th ro
al s: Fa rm an
• Re ar in g of fa rm an im
th ei r du ng .

Jr np ac t of c; Jo ba l W
ar m in g
eq ue nc es .
nu m be r of se rio us co ns
Cl ob nl w ar m in g ha s a
rs
• lh t' m el tin g of gl ac ie
•tlw ris e in se a lev el
pn lle rn
J chc1nges in th e gl ob nl rc1infoll
rn l yi el ds
• ch nn gc s in ng ric ul lu ex tin ct io n of
id lo di sr up tio n of ha bi ta t w hi ch m ay le ad to
✓ Cl ob nl w nr m in g n-,.1y lcr
m nn y flo rn on d fnun,1. ea se w ith hi gh er le ve l of ai r
d c1llergi es wi ll in cr
J ln fe cl io us di sc os es , nslhrnri an
po llu tio n .
l W an ni n! !
W ay s to R ed uc e G lo ba ..,
'ry di st ur bi ng ph en om
en on an d ~ LET'S DO THIS!
( ;1llb,1I w. 1r m in g is ,1 VL tio n,
)u ld try lo rL 'du '
n. il by fc on lro lli ng de fo re sta Take a wo rld map and
ma rk the regions
\\l l' slH e of to be the most
dn w n on vc hi cu l,u em iss io ns , re du ci ng us tha t you feel are go ing
. Write do wn
c11lli1,g aff ect ed by global wa rm ing
in g ou r lif es ly k. ) d ou t the names
l'l •'l ' g,1Sl'S ,rn d ch ,1 ng the reasons for this. Fin
ies tha t are majorly
of those human activit
responsible for this.

Glossary

s th e Ea rth
pl w 1c tlw hl.11 1"-t'l l,( ,1ir th.1t su rr ou nd
♦ \fm os Earth
inc t'l' ,1S t.' in tlw ,n L'r,1,gL' lL'l11PL'l\1turt:'s on
,ll l nt ra ti
♦ ">-( C lo h.1 1 ", 1 1111 111 µ: -.1tu re du e to th ec on ce
ph L' ric k1npL'1
l•l 't t lw i th.'t't'.lSt' in ,1 tm t)S
♦ ( •• l't 'n 1w 1. "l' r-H
\ I

l'I !h t' ~~ t'l' t'll ihH IS t'

~~ -l~ l'~ I

1ys tl, t:'nter th e at m os

ph er e Ii
"h i1. .'h ,1ll1..,w tlw Su ns 1-.
~" ~-l~t'~
♦ ,,
'- '•t 't" 'll <" ' .. t' "·l st• ' t(, sp ,K e
th t1., r.1 di. 1tt ' l ,1L'l-. in
1

tw , t tt\ )l\ \ th1 ..' F. 1r

l'l l'\ t'l lt th t' 1

io n~ l'k l' ln1.'.1lh 1.'h

,1r~~l,J p.1rt1d1..'~
♦ d nwsosphere
, 1, ,u n i 1n h' h' t't 'n t h1..'rllh''St"lwn.' ,1n
♦
i,.1
1, t•~op,1u~t•
: t 111l l '- •
 e
'\onnal lapse rate: the ,Oc,::ea,e ir iiir -eirperarur<c a'
• 16~ nl i:icre.1sc :..:1 hei~.1r
bouilda.i.··y th:1r separa:es - e
Stratcn:i1_1se: ci1e nclffL1W
•
e

s
• Toe bl~~et of ail" s~--rounding the EarJ1 is called the ahrosphere.
+ ..\.i: :s .: mixture oi ~ases
v
~:...e nitro.:en oxy12en h~ dro£e- carb n ai xiuc 2 _ ~

argon and heiiun1· "·arer \·apour dust ~-,articles and other in1Dt.1.i-icies a.re FTes--: .:
\·ariable quar1ti:ies.
♦ The atmosphere is di\id.ed into n\·e layers- troposphere srratosprere rres
thermcsphere and exos;iere.
• The compone:--.rs o: the aarh)S':':1ere
. are useful to us in \·ario:..:s · ·a,-s.
-
• The increase in the greenhouse £"ases leads ro global warnlins:.
'--"' V V '-'

• Greenhc~e effect oi the arrr,..Js?here a..nci. ci.esrrucrion of the ozone la,·e- ..:iY~ .ec.:
global ,,·arming. .

1:.eview E.tercifel
•3/ Choose the correct option.
1. The atmosphere ex:ends up m - - - - - - - ab o•:e :he Earth
s 5~;a.:2.
a 2 kn1 l,SOO km
(b ~1 6C.:' ill1 ..i 1 .-£,_._ . ~:
2- In the tr pos re the temnerature ot· air decr-"'.l-" • -·th - . heigh. at cile rJ.te t'
even • "'.ce.:- '' · m..:rease m
.;-------·
(a) 160 m 65m (c) ram
3. Meteors burn in the
-------
(a trop"sphere (b _ . ,/
-!. Which of th . ll . .~tramsphero2 <cymesosphere d thernK15t+ere
e .to ow1n«;! lS not a ....,..,__,,,nh .
o•~~ ouse~as'
(a) carbon dioxide b th ;:, ·
me ane
\' :utrogen o\ide c hydrogen
 y Fill in the blanks.

l. The atm~sphere is held around the Earth due to the Earth's CnCJJ\N'Yt~.
2. The density of the atmosphere is l QtJO O near the Earth's surface.
3. The stratosphere is separated from the troposphere by a narrow boundary called MQ.Xinw,r1 .
4. The thermosphere is also called Ai\2::u;t~,p~
y. Mark the wrong statements and correct them.
1. In the mesosphere the temperature of air increases with increasing height. f oJ&- M ~
2. The exosphere is an extremely dense layer. i::=~- I ~
3. Oxygen protects us from the harmful ulh·aviolet rays of the Sun. ~ ~ - 0 ~ /O-p
4. Greenhouse gases are responsible for raising the atmospheric temperature. Tj1U..Q..

f Place these words under the correct heading.

presence of ozonf/, about 80 kr~wea 1er conditioniradio communicatiozy"merges with spac7 no
cloud§( about 1 · ·

I I I I •

E. Answer these questions in 10-20 words.

l. What is the composition of the atmosphere?
2. Define the term 'normal lapse rate of temperature'.
3. Mention two uses of carbon dioxide gas.
4. How is ozone gas important for us?
5. What do you understand by the greenhouse effect?
6. Name some greenhouse gases. Why are they called so?
7. What is global warming? State its main causes.

F. Answer these questions in 50-60 words.

1. Mention the characteristic features of the stratosphere.
2. Explain the causes of the depletion of the ozone layer.
3 . Describe the impact of global warming and mention some ways by which it can be reduced.

•
G. Answer these questions in 75-100 words.
1. Explain why the troposphere is considered lo be the most importnnl lc1yrr of lh,, itlrn,, L
"P111•r,,
2. 'Life would not have existed on Earth without the presence of the almo..,ph,•n•' s,
. Jf)pr,r11~ ·
statement with suitable reasons. - - If•,

H./ Why do you think so?

\, 1. The stratosphere is ideal for air tr,¼ 6 ~, -t11J)\t .iJ_ ~_/j 1Jf1):k-l.ll- r.,I
2. Tl~e thermosphere is useful for wirele~s communication.µ ~ ~~
3. Air pressure decreases with altitude.,lf ~1\\IJJU.1 .r •·v- 0'1; M}flJ.J
~,'Pf..hlPJ
4. There is an increase in the amount of eenhouse gases in the atmosphere. BD1Jl)l J
j Ill, 1' f~ ~..,, ()J) lJ.{,y
I. Draw neat and well-labelled diagrams to show the following: (JJJ\ 1-lt \ »l&'...J ,
1. Composition of the atmosphere
2. Structure of the atmosphere

J. Picture Study
Observe the picture and answer the questions.
1. What is depicted in the picture?
2. How do you think it would affect our environment?

K. Life Skills
List a few lifestyle changes that will help us reduce our carbon footprint on the environment.

L. Activity
Collect newspaper articles on the poor air quality of the Indian metropolitan cities. Compare them
with the air quality of other big cities of the world. Draw your own inferences and note them down.

Web Connect
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www.newworldencyclopedia.org
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